Artist: Tom And His Computer
Title: Future Ruins
Genre: Electronic
Release Date: 16th October 2020
Label: In My Room
Review Flash
Copenhagen DJ, producer and all round experimentalist in the world of electronic tuneage, Thomas Bertelsen, adopts a playful moniker and releases an album of left-field tracks, which is really rather good. Vocalist Roxy Jules sprinkles a particular magic over four tracks, from the CRYSTAL CASTLES-lite skip and hustle of the wonderful ‘Lovers And Gasoline’, through the big beat expansiveness of ‘Feathers’ to the urgency of ‘Puzzle’ and the stuttering, melancholic dystopia of the title song. The instrumental tracks refuse to slouch either, which gives this album a pleasing balance. It opens with a beautiful swish of synthetic waves, before taking in a positive dawn stroll through ‘Waterfronts’, the very definition of chill-out without being in any way background. Throw in some early OMD experimental eccentricity on ‘Our Man In Toronto’ and ‘Computer Solidarity’, and if that starts to get too much for you, smile knowingly at the cheesy waltz of ‘Fabel’, just so you know none of this is actually up its own arse. And end track ‘Disbelief In A Postmodern World’, shifts between wobbly positivity and a dreamlike sci-fi uncertainty. It’s a striking piece of music in its own right.
Conclusion: Not an obviously great album at first listen, but let this diffuse into the skin, and it reveals just what a sophisticated and cerebral achievement it is, illustrating that electronica is still a genre with boundaries to push, without having to go to extremes to do that.
Rating: 8 / 10
Comments powered by CComment